Invest in the Village Square
The Day of Orature is Central New York’s first dedicated public celebration of the living tradition of Orature. Your investment — at any level — directly funds a free, community-anchored event that places young voices at center stage and lays the foundation for a program with national ambitions.
The Case for Investment
The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation is not a conventional arts organization. It is a transformative platform where the past inspires possibility — where communities rediscover the power of their own stories. Sponsoring The Day of Orature means standing, publicly and tangibly, on the side of culture, equity, and youth.
Visibility at a Landmark First
Prominent recognition across all event signage, printed materials, digital platforms, and live ceremony at a first-of-its-kind public event in Central New York — with strong community, media, and academic interest anticipated.
Direct Civic Impact
Your sponsorship directly funds cash awards distributed into the hands of young people in Central New York — up to $5,625 awarded on the day of the event, across four age tiers and five performance categories.
Founding Legacy Recognition
Sponsors are recognized as founding partners of both this inaugural event and the Prize for Orature — a program with national and international ambitions, seeded right here in Syracuse. The legacy grows as the program does.
DEI, Arts & Community Alignment
Sponsorship Tiers
All sponsorship contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN 99-3653269).
Foundational Sponsor
$10,000 and above
- Premier logo placement on all event signage, banners, printed materials, and digital promotions
- Named sponsorship of one Youth Performance Category (e.g., "The [Sponsor Name] Award for Spoken Word Poetry")
- Dedicated recognition during opening and closing ceremonies
- Logo and acknowledgment on Foundation website and social media for six months
- Branded materials or organizational information at a designated sponsor table at the event
- Formal recognition in Foundation annual communications as a founding event sponsor
- Invitation to pre-event reception with Foundation leadership and distinguished judges
Community Champion
$5,000 – $9,999
- Logo placement on event signage, printed programs, and digital promotions
- Recognition during the awards ceremony
- Logo and acknowledgment on Foundation website and social media for four months
- Opportunity to distribute organizational materials at the event
- Formal recognition in Foundation's annual communications
Supporting Sponsor
$1,000 – $4,999
- Name and logo listed on event printed program and Foundation website
- Verbal acknowledgment during the awards ceremony
- Recognition in post-event social media and digital communications
Friend of Orature
$500 – $2,499
- Listed recognition in the festival program guide and on a community sponsors board on-site.
- Listed recognition on the Foundation website.
- Acknowledgment in a Foundation newsletter following the festival.
- Post-event thank-you letter.
In-Kind & Service Partnerships
- Venue / Infrastructure
- Audio-Visual & Stage Production
- Food & Beverage
- Printing & Signage
- Photography & Videography
- Transportation
To discuss in-kind partnership, contact info@miceregithaemugofoundation.org
How To Give
The Foundation accepts sponsorship contributions through three convenient methods. To ensure prompt acknowledgment and accurate gift recording, we kindly ask that all sponsors notify the Foundation by email once a contribution is initiated
Check
Payable to: Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation, Inc.
Mail to: 225 Sherbourne Road, Syracuse, NY 13224
ACH Direct Deposit
Bank: Chase Bank
Routing #: 022300173
Account #: 669901806
Please reference “Day of Orature–[Sponsor Name]” in the transfer memo and notify info@miceregithaemugofoundation.org once initiated.
Credit Card
Stewardship, Tracking & Acknowledgment
The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation maintains gift-receipting and stewardship practices consistent with industry standards for cultural and arts nonprofits. Every contribution is logged in the Foundation’s donor-management records under the sponsor’s designated name and assigned a unique reference number at the point of receipt.
- Acknowledgment letter: A formal acknowledgment letter—signed by Foundation leadership and bearing the Foundation’s EIN—will be issued within ten (10) business days of receipt of funds.
- Tax receipt: A written, IRS-compliant contemporaneous gift receipt suitable for tax purposes will be provided.
- Restricted use: Sponsorship funds are tracked against the Day of Orature event budget. Sponsors at the Foundational and Community Champion tiers receive a post-event sponsor report summarizing audience and program metrics.
- Confidentiality: Sponsor financial information is treated with strict confidentiality and is shared only with Foundation officers and the Foundation’s appointed financial professionals as required for accurate accounting and reporting.
Tax-Deductible Status
The Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation is a New York charitable, nonprofit, tax-exempt organizationregistered under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Tax ID (EIN): 99-3653269.Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Goods-and-services disclosure:
Where sponsorship benefits include hospitality, tickets, or other tangible benefits
with quantifiable fair-market value, the deductible portion of the contribution will be calculated and disclosed on the sponsor’s acknowledgment letter in accordance with IRS guidance. Sponsors are advised to consult their own tax professionals regarding the deductibility of any specific contribution.
Closing Word
To sponsor The Day of Orature is to put your institution’s name in celebration of memory, youth, and the public square.
We invite your institution to stand with the Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation in honoring a remarkable legacy, in nurturing a new generation of orators, and in placing Syracuse on the map as a city that gathers, listens, and remembers together. We would be glad to discuss a partnership tailored to your institution’s priorities and reporting requirements.